The Washington Post: How did Biden cause a global uproar with 9 words about Putin?

In a report in the Washington Post, its writers Tyler Pager and Matt Phaser say that US President Joe Biden caused a sensation by declaring that Russian President Vladimir Putin "cannot stay in power", and this led to a scramble for White House officials, as it seemed Biden proposes a radical change in US policy.

The report's authors noted that Biden frequently reminded his audience during his election campaign of the heavy weight that presidents' words can carry, as he repeated that "the words of presidents matter," and "they can move markets," and "they can send our brave men and women to war." ', and 'they can bring peace'.

"For God's sake, this man cannot remain in power," Biden said in his speech in Poland on Saturday.

Contrary to stated policy

The report described Biden's statement as an important statement that would reflect stated US policy, and directly contradict the claims of senior administration officials - including Secretary of State Anthony Blinken - who insisted that regime change was not on the table, but went further than he even said. US presidents during the Cold War, and it instantly reverberated around the world as world leaders, diplomats, and foreign policy experts sought to define what Biden had said, and what he meant?

And if he did not mean this statement, why did he say that?

Shortly after the speech, a White House official sought clarification: "The president's view was that Putin could not be allowed to impose power on his neighbors or the region; he was not discussing Putin's authority in Russia or regime change."

The report indicated, according to a person familiar with the letter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, that Biden's statement was not planned and was a surprise to US officials.

In the immediate aftermath of the statement, reporters rushed to Biden aides for clarification on the president apparently supporting regime change in Russia.

But Biden aides demurred, and declined to comment as they scrambled to craft a response.

very important letter

"The speech was very important," said Aaron David Miller, a veteran diplomat and distinguished fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "This is one of those speeches where one line delineates the speech's purpose."

Miller added that if the White House had not immediately clarified what Biden said, the phrase would have led to a major policy shift and Putin would have understood that the United States would try to remove him from office.

It is unclear the full impact of the suspension in the coming days.

He said he hated taking risks, "especially with a man who has nuclear weapons. But will Biden's statement have practical consequences? No one knows."

The report said Biden's phrase likely indicates what Putin was already suspicious of about Biden's true feelings, and would almost certainly be used in Russian propaganda, but it also provides a window into Biden's current thinking, and some of the administration's thinking regarding Putin.

"When you say this guy should go, you're saying you're not going to deal with him," said Michael O'Hanlon, a former fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Biden's escalating intensity against Putin

Over the past few weeks, Biden's rhetoric on Putin has become increasingly blunt.

The report added that Biden once recounted that he once told Putin in the face, “I don’t think you have a soul.” Last week, he described him as a “war criminal,” and today he is called a “butcher,” a “thug,” and a “murderous dictator.” Saying that he should be removed from power can be seen as a logical move after all that has been said.

Russia's response came in the words of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov to state news agencies: "This is not Biden's business. The President of Russia is elected by the Russians."

Some officials, both in the United States and abroad, said Biden's comment was an honest recognition of the fact that the United States likely would not have a normal relationship with Putin after the invasion.

But the bigger concern may be, in the short term, that Biden's speech could escalate tensions and make it difficult to find any diplomatic way out.

The Washington Post report said there should be two priorities now: ending the war on terms Ukraine could accept, and discouraging any escalation by Putin.

real intentions

"This comment has been inconsistent with those two goals, and so far frustratingly, the Biden administration has acted with great discipline," said Richard Haass, a veteran diplomat and president of the Council on Foreign Relations. "It goes against the direction of their handling of this crisis, they clearly recognize that, they're back." Within minutes, the problem from Putin's point of view is that Biden has revealed his true intent and ours."

David Rothkopf, a foreign policy analyst and CEO of the American “Rothkopf” Group, commented on what Biden said: “In Biden’s comment there is a kernel of truth, Vladimir Putin cannot demolish a country, kill tens of thousands of civilians, commit serial war crimes, and expect To be welcomed again in the international community. If Russia wants to be part of the community of nations, it will have to bring about change."